The Hook Up
by LBT4LYFE
Summary: The 'rewritten' version of my first FanFic "Little Big Love"


The band is on tour with Martina McBride. They were traveling from West Palm Beach, Florida to Grand Rapids, Wisconsin for a couple of days. They stopped to eat. By then, it was about 6:30 a.m. They all ordered their food, ate, and then got back on the bus to continue the drive. Jimi and Phillip passed the time by playing card games ore playing a little something on their guitars. Kimberly and Karen on the other hand would talk. They would talk about whatever came to mind. They were always talking. But tonight was different. Karen was very quiet. She hadn't said a word since they had arrived in Florida, other than singing and talking during the show.

Karen was lying in her bunk. Kimberly got worried and went to check on her. "Hey. What's wrong with you?" Kimberly asked. "Nothing. I'm just not feeling to great." Karen said. "Are you on your period?" Kimberly asked. "No. My stomach hurts and I just feel really nauseous." Karen replied. Kimberly just looked at her for a moment. "What are you looking at?" Karen asked. "Well, Karen, could you possibly be—"NO!" Karen interrupted. "Are you positive?" Kimberly asked. "Yes. That is not possible." Karen exclaimed. "Karen, look, you know that just because you're on the pill, or you use any other protection, you're not guaranteed anything." Kimberly said. "I know that! I mean that really isn't possible. Okay. Can we drop it?" Karen said.

Kimberly sensed that this was a very sensitive subject for Karen right now, but didn't know why. "Karen?" Kimberly asked. "Yeah?" Karen answered. "Is there something you want to talk about?" Kimberly asked. "No. I'm fine." Karen replied. "You are not fine. I've known you too long. I can see when you're hurting." Kimberly said. She got on Karen's bunk. "What's up? Is it about Mark?" Kimberly asked. Karen didn't say anything. "Come on sweetie. We're best friends. Talk to me." Kimberly said. Karen sighed. "We don't talk anymore." Karen said. "Well, have you tried talking to him about that?" Kimberly asked. "He's never around. Every time I'm home, he always has an excuse to leave." Karen said. She started crying. "I don't know what to do Kim." Karen added.

"I-I. I think he's having an affair." Karen said. "What? Why would you think that?" Kimberly asked. "I was washing clothes and there was a lipstick stain….. On his boxers." Karen said. "Karen. I'm so sorry." Kimberly said. She hugged Karen. They just stayed there for a few minutes. They both climbed out of the bunk. "What have you two been doing up there?" Phillip asked as he walked past. "Yall have been up there together for almost an hour." He added. "Nothing." Kimberly said. "Girl stuff." Karen added. "Enough said." Phillip replied. The girls both laughed. They went and sat next to Jimi on the couch. "Did you two get some 'girl time.'?" Jimi asked. "Yep." Karen said. "We sure did." Kimberly added.

"You two are constantly talking. If you two didn't have each other, Phillip and I would go insane." Jimi said. "Yeah. I'm very lucky to have her." Karen said, looking at Kimberly. "I'm very lucky to have you too." Kimberly said. They leaned in to hug, reaching over Jimi. They hugged and Jimi said, "Awwwww! How sweet." They all laughed. Jimi put his arms around each of their shoulders and pulled them in close. "I love you two!" He said. Karen suddenly felt something. Almost as if something inside of her lit up. Kimberly could see the change in Karen's facial expression. Jimi removed his arms from around the girls, got up off of the couch, and walked to the back of the bus.

Kimberly turned toward Karen. "What was that?" Kimberly whispered. "What?" Karen replied. "Oh don't 'what' me. You know exactly what I'm talking about." Kimberly insisted. "No. I don't." Karen said hastily. "Oh come on. He put his arm around you and you practically lit up like the Fourth of July." Kimberly exclaimed. "Whatever." Karen said. She turned away from Kimberly and she was blushing. "Oh. My. Stars. You've got the hots for Jimi!" Kimberly exclaimed. "SHHHHH!" Karen yelled. "I most certainly do NOT!" Karen demanded. "I am a married woman." She added. "Karen, we just talked about how things are going between you and Mark." Kimberly said. "It can't happen Kim! I'll get over it. I don't want anything to change because of a phase!" Karen exclaimed.

"Karen you can't just cover up feelings you have for someone that you see 75-100% of every day with. Look Karen, you've got to talk to Mark. You've got to know where the two of you stand." Kimberly said. "Jimi and I couldn't be a thing even if we were both single! Now DROP IT!" Karen yelled. Jimi heard the whole conversation, but he just kept quiet. "Kimberly." Karen sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I just don't want to assume Mark is involved with someone else. He and I fell in love right out of college. I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with him. And Jimi and I as a couple is just too big of a risk. I don't want to possibly ruin a great friendship, and the band, if we don't work out. That's something I can't risk." Karen said as she began to tear up.

"Sweetie, you've got to ask yourself only one question. Are you happy with Mark? When you two are at home in bed together, is that magical feeling still there?" Kimberly said. There was a long silence. "No. No, there is no magic left in our marriage." Karen said. "Karen, I understand why you don't want to get involved with Jimi, but in all of my years knowing you, I've never seen you look as happy as you did with his arm around you." Kimberly said. "And whether or not you can admit it, there's something there. I mean did you see the way he looked back at you?" Kimberly asked. "The way he looked at me? How did he look at me?" Karen asked. "The same way all men look at Angelina Jolie." Kimberly said. "Excuse me?" Karen said. "I think you to should just sit down and talk, and see where things go from there." Kimberly said. "Fine. But only to get you to drop it." Karen said. "Deal." Kimberly agreed.

Karen decided to get her 'talk' with Jimi over with to make Kimberly happy. Kimberly went to the back of the bus and told Jimi to go join Karen on the couch. As he approached from the back of the bus, he said, "Hey babe." This was not unusual. He addressed Karen and Kimberly with 'babe' all of the time, it just felt a little awkward at the moment. "Jimi. How is it a guy like you is single? You're a great looking guy, and extremely sweet, a very rare combination." Karen asked_. Well she gets right to it_, Jimi thought to himself. "Well, I guess I'm just waiting for the right girl to come along." Jimi said. This really opened Karen's' heart. She has known Jimi for many years now, and knew he was a great guy. She never really realized how sincere and down to earth he is. And certainly never realized what a great body he has. Kimberly was standing next to the bunks. She motioned for Karen to come to her. Karen did just that.

Karen got to Kimberly. "Oh. My. Goodness." Kimberly said in shock. "What?" Karen asked. "He was checking you out." Kimberly whispered. "Jimi?" Karen exclaimed. "Yeah?" Jimi called from the couch. "Never mind." Karen said. "Yes Jimi. He watched your ass the whole walk over here!" Kimberly said. "Kim, there is no way that he is interested in me like that." Karen assured. "Karen, wake up and give him a chance." Kimberly pleaded. "No. I'm done with this conversation." Karen said. She walked back to the couch, and sat down next to Jimi. Kimberly knew that there were mixed emotions flying around this bus. She only had one idea left. That was to get Phillip to be her inside man. She needed him to find out if Jimi has feeling for Karen.

Phillip was in his bunk napping. "Phillip." Kimberly whispered, shaking his shoulder. "Yeah?" He asked. "Wake up. I need you to do me a huge favor." Kimberly said. "What?" Phillip asked. "I need you to discreetly find out if Jimi is interested in Karen. I don't care how. Just ask if he's interested any anyone, and then mention Karen's name somewhere in the conversation." Kimberly said. "Okay." Phillip reluctantly agreed. "Thanks Philly." Kimberly said. Kimberly needed a way to distract Karen for a little while. She told Karen she was going to straighten her hair for the show tonight. Karen immediately knew that was her signal to come help, and Phillip quickly realized that was his cure to find out how Jimi truly fells about Karen.

"Phillip approached Jimi. "Can I ask you something?" Phillip asked. "Yeah." Jimi said. "Do you think that I will ever find love?" Phillip asked. "Of course. That perfect someone is out there just waiting to be found. She may be closer that you ever realized." Jimi said. He had taken Phillip's bait. "Wow. You talking about someone specific?" Phillip asked. "Noah." Jimi replied. "Oh." Phillip said. There were a few moments of silence. "What do you think about Karen?" Phillip asked. "Karen? Why? What did you hear?" Jimi asked. "Uh. Nothing. But it sounds to me like someone is crushing on a married woman." Phillip said. "Well, what do you want me to say? She's hot… really hot… who am I kidding? She's breathtaking. I've got a HUGE crush on her!" Jimi exclaimed.

"Jimi, how long have you felt like this?" Phillip asked. Jimi said nothing. "Well?" Phillip repeated. "It's been a little while." Jimi said. "How long is a 'little while'?" Phillip asked. "Well… Ever since…" Jimi hesitated. "Yeah." Phillip pushed. Jimi sighed. "Ever since Mark introduced us." Jimi said. "Jimi that is not a 'little while.' That's a long time. Have you ever told her?" Phillip asked. "Are you crazy? Hell no! She is married to one of my best friends. Besides, she doesn't feel the same way." Jimi said. "How do you know?" Phillip asked. "I heard Karen talking to Kimberly about it." Jimi replied. "Kimberly seems to think that Karen has feelings for me, but Karen completely denies it. I've always been able to keep my feelings for her under control, but ever since Kimberly has started talking about it, I feel like every time I'm with her, I'm going to explode." He added.

The boys talked about Karen and how Jimi was going to handle this for a while. Karen finally finished Kimberly's hair. "What have you two been doing?" Kimberly asked, giving Phillip a nonchalant look. "Just talking." Jimi replied. "Oh. You two? Just talking?" Karen said. "Yeah." Jimi said, looking her directly in the eyes. "Uh, Phillip, I need your help with something." Kimberly said. They walked to the back of the bus, while Jimi and Karen took a seat on the couch. "What did he say?" Kimberly asked Phillip. "He's in love with her." Phillip said. Kimberly went from happy and excited to know what Jimi said, to a blank slate. "What?" Kimberly said. "Yeah." Phillip said. There was a pause. "He's in LOVE with her?" Kimberly said, still in shock.

"He said he's had a crush on her since they met. He's been good about holding back his feelings, but all of this is driving him crazy. He can barely look at her without tensing up." Phillip said. "Oh. I didn't know he felt that heavily about her." Kimberly said. "I need to talk to him." She added. "Yeah. I think that'd be best. Maybe you can convince him to tell her." Phillip said. "Exactly. I know she has deep feelings for him, I just have to get her to admit it." Kimberly said. "Don't do it until after the show though. The last thing we need is for the both of them to be rattled and uncomfortable on stage with each other." Phillip said.

They played their show in Grand Rapids and then all got back on the bus. They had a couple of days off now, and were headed back to Nashville. "They did as always, all took a shower, got something to eat, and got ready for bed. Phillip was always the first to bed, and Karen usually wasn't far behind. Kimberly didn't like to stay up extremely late, but she wasn't an early bird either. Jimi on the other hand was a complete night owl. He'd stay up until 3 a.m. and then sleep until ten. After Phillip and Karen were in their bunks, Kimberly went and sat next to Jimi on the couch.

"Hey." Kimberly said as she sat down next to him. "Hey." He replied. "Can I ask you something?" Kimberly said. "Sure." Jimi said. He muted the TV, and turned to face Kimberly. "What do you wanna talk about?" He added. "Karen." Kimberly said. Jimi sighed. "This again." He said. "Look, I'm not trying to interfere, I just want to know. Are you in love with her?" Kimberly asked. "I don't know. I do know that I have very strong feelings for her, but I don't know that it's love." Jimi said. "Okay. Fair enough. If she were single, would you be interested?" Kimberly asked. "If she was single. Yes. But she isn't. And she isn't interested in me, so why does any of this matter?" Jimi asked.

"What makes you think she doesn't feel the same way?" Kimberly asked. "I heard the two of you talking earlier." Jimi said. "Jimi, Karen and Mark are having problems right now, and even if she can't admit it to herself, she isn't fooling me. I saw the way she looked at you when you put your arm around her. She has feelings for you. You've got to say something to her. Keeping things bottled up isn't good for you or for her." Kimberly said. "I feel the same way she does when it comes to risking the band and our friendship." Jimi said. "Sometimes you have to be able to take those risks. And you have to believe that the friendship, not only between you two, but between the four of us is strong enough to get through anything." Kimberly said.

"Why are you so dead set on us being together?" Jimi asked. "I'm not. I just want you two to come clean. We always have a BLAST on stage. Not that we didn't tonight, but you could feel the tension. You have got to tell her how you feel Jimi. And you know what? Right now, she could really use the comfort. When I say things between her and Mark aren't good, I mean that they are REALLY not good. She's in a tough place right now, and I think that she would want to know the truth, and that may be the tip of the iceberg. She may finally open up and tell you how she really feels." Kimberly said. "Do you really think so?" Jimi asked. "Yes. I really do." Kimberly said. "Okay. Fine. I will talk to her in the morning." Jimi agreed. "Good." Kimberly said.

They all awoke the next morning, with a few hours left until they reached Nashville. Karen and Kimberly were sitting at the table when Jimi finally rolled out of bed. "Good morning." Kimberly said. Karen just sipped her coffee. "Good morning." Jimi replied. "Uh. Hey, Karen, could I talk to you about something?" Jimi asked. "Sure." Karen said. "I'll leave you two to talk." Kimberly said. She got up from the table and walked to the back of the bus. "So. Whatcha want?" Karen asked. "I… I, uh, wanted to talk to you about, uh…" Jimi stuttered. "Jimi, what is it. You can talk to me about it." Karen said, placing one hand on his. "Karen, this is really hard for me. I don't know how to say it." Jimi said. "Well, just say it." Karen said.

Jimi stomach was in knots. "I, uh… Kimberly and I were talking, and, uh, I just…" Jimi said. "Jimi, just tell me. It can't be that bad." Karen said. Jimi took a deep breath and very quickly said, "Karen, I have known you and Mark for years and ever since he introduced us I have thought you were a stunning woman. I've never said anything because Mark is one of my best friends. But Karen, I do have feelings for you, and I know that you don't feel the same way. I'm fine with that, I just had to say it. It was eating me alive not telling you, and I'm sorry. I know this is a lot to take in, and I don't expect anything out of it I just—" Karen kissed him.

"Oh my God. What was that?" Jimi said, shocked. "I don't know." Karen said. She sounded just as shocked that it happened as Jimi. "I-I don't know what just happened. I don't know why I did that. I'm sorry." Karen added. "Well, don't be sorry. I'm not complaining. I just didn't expect it." Jimi said. "Well you're not the only one!" Karen exclaimed. "Karen, I'm sorry." Jimi said. "For what? I kissed YOU." Karen said. "I'm sorry for telling you all of this. I meant to space all of that out a little bit, but I started talking and couldn't stop." Jimi said. "No. I'm glad you told me." Karen said. "I… I… I might just feel the same way." Karen said. "What?!" Jimi exclaimed. There was a long pause. "Yeah. I think I feel the same way." Karen said, with a huge smile on her face. Jimi was ecstatic.

"But, Karen, you're married. I can't interfere with you and Mark." Jimi said, devastated. "Screw Mark. He's been screwing someone else anyway." Karen said. "What?" Jimi asked. "Yeah. It's a long story. We've lost interest in each other and he just decided to find a new interest, so I might as well do the same." Karen said. "Are you sure?" Jimi asked. "I'm positive. You know what Jimi, Kimberly was right. I do have feelings for you, and I was too afraid to let them show. But now I'm ready to give this a shot. If you are." Karen said. "Hell yes. Karen, believe it or not, I've been waiting for this since the day Mark introduced us." Jimi said. Karen smiled. "Me too." She said.

"So. What are we saying? Are we dating? Are we just testing the limits of our friendship'? What?" Jimi asked. "Well, I'll tell you what. When you get home, get dressed, and come over to my place. I'll make dinner, and we can try it once, and if all ends well, we'll tell Kimberly and Phillip. Sound good?" Karen said. "Sounds great." Jimi smiled. "Okay then. My place at eight." Karen said. "I'll be there at eight." Jimi replied. He stood up, leaned over the table, and kissed Karen's cheek. He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and as soon as he closed the door, Karen heard the pitter-patter of Kimberly's feet running up from the back of the bus.

"SO? What was that all about?" Kimberly eagerly asked. "Nothing. He just wanted to talk." Karen said. She knew that she had just told Jimi that they would wait until after tonight to tell Phillip and Kimberly, but Karen couldn't keep this from her. "Well, okay. You CAN'T tell Jimi I told you." Karen demanded. "My lips are sealed." Kimberly said. "Well, he told me that he has feelings for me!" Karen said. "And you said?" Kimberly asked. "I… I told him that I have feelings for him too." Karen said. "I KNEW IT!" Kimberly exclaimed. "So what happened next?" Kimberly asked. "I… I… I kissed him. He was rambling and I needed to shut him up. I don't know where the hell it came from, but it happened. And we are seeing each other tonight." Karen said. "Oh gussie!" Kimberly said with a smile on her face. "But we said we weren't going to tell you and Phillip until after tonight. So you can't mention it at all." Karen said. "I know." Kimberly said.

Kimberly just smiled at Karen. "I'm so happy for you. Where are you two meeting?" Kimberly asked. "My house." Karen replied. "What? But what about Mark?" Kimberly asked. "He'll head out as soon as I get home and won't be back until noon tomorrow, at the earliest. I'm telling you Kim, he's got a solid routine, and he's been doing this for months. I just think we've drifted apart." Karen said. "I'm sorry sweetie. You and Mark made a cute couple, but sometimes, things just don't work out. And, hey, if all goes well with Jimi, it may be for the best." Kimberly said. "I hope you're right." Karen said.

They arrived back in Nashville, and they all went their separate ways. They got home at about 6 p.m. Karen's phone rang, it was Jimi. "Hey." Karen said. "Just wanted to make sure we are still on for our date." Jimi said. "Of course." Karen answered. "I can't wait to see you tonight. This is something I never thought I'd get the chance to do." Jimi said. "Well, now you get to." Karen said. "Yeah. I do. Well, I was just confirming. I'll see you in a couple of hours, okay?" Jimi said. "Okay. See you in a couple of hours." Karen said. She hung up the phone. She went to her room to get dressed.

She was going to wear her short dress that was white, lace from the waist up, and tight black velvet from the waist to about mid-thigh. She wanted to look sexy, but didn't want to come off as easy. She knew that Jimi wouldn't think THAT, but he didn't really know her outside of the band. This was a side of Karen that he'd never seen before, and like any woman, she wanted to make a good first impression. She straightened her hair, and wore her diamond earrings with the matching necklace. This was the wedding present that Jimi gave to Karen when she and Mark got married.

It was now eight o'clock. The doorbell rang. She answered the door, to see Jimi standing there in a tux. He looked incredible. He had flowers for her, and kissed her cheek as he walked in. He was a complete gentlemen. Karen had the table set, with nothing but a candle lit room. "Wow." Jimi said. "You like it?" Karen asked. "Yeah. But I wasn't talking about the table. You look stunning." He said. Karen blushed. "You look pretty fancy yourself." Karen said. He pulled out the chair for Karen to sit down. "Thank you." She said. "Wow. I just can't get past how beautiful you are." Jimi said. "Jimi, you're too sweet." Karen said.

They ate, they talked, and then they went into the living room. "I have a little surprise." Karen said. "There's more?" Jimi asked. "Yeah. I know how much you love horror movies, so I went and rented the new "Scream" movie, if you want to watch it." Karen said. "Are you kidding me? YES! This is amazing Karen. I don't think tonight could've been any more perfect." Jimi said. Karen put the DVD in the DVD player, and joined Jimi on the couch. "Do you want another glass of wine?" Karen asked. "That would be lovely." Jimi said. "You are an incredible host. Why don't we have dinner over here more often?" Jimi asked. They both laughed. Karen joined Jimi on the couch.

"Okay, there is only one condition. You know I'm not a horror film fanatic like you, so if I get scared, you are not allowed to laugh at me." Karen said. "I promise. And if you get really scared, you can use my shoulder to cry on." He said. She smiled and moved very close to him. He put his arm around her. She felt the same warm feeling she felt last time. But this time she knew what it was she was feeling. It was a comfort. With Jimi's arm around her she came to realize that she felt safe. She knew that he was a kind heart that would always put her first, and would do everything in his power to assure her safety.

Before long they had both had way too much to drink, and had fallen asleep on the couch. The next morning, Karen woke up in Jimi's arms. She got up, made coffee, went and changed out of her dress into a t shirt and Nike shorts from her still unpacked suitcase. . She woke Jimi up. They both had killer hangovers. "Did we fall asleep during the movie?" Jimi asked. "Yeah. I guess so." Karen answered. She walked back into the kitchen and something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. It was Mark's truck. He had come home last night.

She ran back into the living room. "Mark is here!" Karen exclaimed. "What?" Jimi said. "Mark is HERE! He came home last night. He's in the house, probably upstairs in our room. There is no way in hell he doesn't know you're here. DAMMIT!" Karen yelled. "Karen, calm down. Maybe he came through the garage door, not the front door. He may not know I'm here. I'll go." Jimi said. "No. Stay Jimi." A voice said. Karen turned around to see Mark slowly making his way down the stairs. "So. Are you sleeping with my wife?" Mark asked. "Mark. It's not what it looks like." Jimi said. "Oh really? Because it LOOKS like you came over, drank a lot, and fell asleep with her." Mark said.

As this conversation was going on, Mark was slowly making his way towards Jimi. "YOU SLEPT WITH MY WIFE!" Mark yelled. He threw a punch at Jimi, and hit him straight in the nose. "JIMI!" Karen yelled. She ran to the couch and sat next to him. His nose was bleeding heavily. "Let me get you a towel." Karen said. She stood up. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Karen screamed. "WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING AROUND?" Mark asked. "THE SAME REASON YOUR SORRY ASS IS! WE DON'T MEAN ANYTHING TO EACH OTHER ANYMORE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT MARK? WE. ARE. OVER!" Karen hollered. "Excuse me?" Mark asked.

"You heard me. Pack your bags. You are moving out." Karen said. She walked to the kitchen to get a towel and an icepack for Jimi. She brought them to him. "What makes you think I'm cheating on you?" Mark asked. "I do your laundry. I find lipstick stains on 'intimate' parts of your clothing all of the time." Karen said. "Now GO!" Karen demanded. "Fine." Mark said. He went upstairs to pack his suitcase. Ten minutes later, he came downstairs. "I'll be back for the rest of my stuff later." Mark said as he was walking out of the door. "Fine." Karen said.

"Jimi, I am so sorry." Karen said. "You didn't do it. I knew that I was risking this. I was ready to face the consequences." Jimi said. "I know. But I just assumed he'd be out all night." Karen said. "Well, now at least we know he isn't coming back any time soon." Jimi said. "That's true." Karen smiled. "Do you want coffee?" She asked. "I'd really like you to come sit down with me." Jimi said. "I can do that." Karen said. She sat down right next to him. His nose had finally stopped bleeding. He set the icepack and the towel on the table. He kissed Karen's lips softly. And then again, but this time a little longer. They looked into each other's eyes.

Jimi slowly pushed himself towards Karen until she was flat on her back. This time he kissed her, it was a lot longer. It was intense. Neither of them had felt like this in a long time. The two of them were still lip locked. Karen started to unbutton Jimi's shirt. He pulled off of her. "Karen. I-I don't want to move to fast." Jimi said. "I understand. I just got a little caught up in the moment." Karen said. "I know. I almost let you." Jimi said. "I promise I want to, just not yet." Jimi said. "Okay." Karen said. "I should head home. I really want to get out of this suit." Jimi said. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, we can tell Phillip and Kimberly. We really don't get enough time off sometimes." Karen said. "Okay." Jimi agreed. He left.

Karen slowly walked up the stairs to the bathroom. She was thinking about everything that was going on. She started the shower. She was taking off her shirt, when she noticed it was covered in Jimi's blood on the shoulder. She took a shower and then went back down to the living room. She sat on the couch, just to think for a little while. _Last night was incredible. I never thought I could be that happy. I never felt like that even in the best years that Mark and I were together. I can't believe Mark caught us. I really can't believe that he slugged Jimi in the nose. That'll be one hell of a story for Kimberly and Phillip. We almost did it. On the first date. I'm a mess. _The phone rang.

Karen called Kimberly. "Kim, you need to come over." Karen said. "Uh. Okay. Is everything alright?" Kimberly asked. "Yeah. Just come over." Karen said. "Okay." Kimberly replied. "Oh. How was last night?" Kimberly added. "We can talk about it when you get here." Karen said. She hung up the phone. Kimberly arrived about ten minutes later. "Hey. So…. How was last night?" Kimberly eagerly asked. "Nice." Karen said. "That's all I Get? 'Nice'?" Kimberly said. "It was great. He's sweet, funny, incredibly good looking. I've never felt that comfortable with anyone. As far as dating goes." Karen said "Do tell more!" Kimberly exclaimed. She sat down on the couch and noticed something between the cushions. She pulled it out. It was a man's tie. "What's this?" Kimberly asked. "Must be Mark's." Karen said. "Mark doesn't wear ties." Kimberly said.

"Uh. Well, maybe it's been there for a while." Karen insisted. "No. Karen, you clean this house all of the time. Oh my goodness! It's Jimi's! Isn't it?" Kimberly exclaimed. "No!" Karen said. "Yes!" Kimberly said. "Maybe." Karen admitted. "Okay. I want to know what happened. EVERYTHING from the time that he got here, until the moment that he left." Kimberly said. Karen sat down beside her. "Well, he brought me flowers, we ate, and then we watched a movie." Karen said. "That's all?" Kimberly asked. Karen was hesitant to answer. "No. We fell asleep on the couch. This morning, I noticed Mark's truck outside. He came downstairs pissed off. He punched Jimi in the nose. Then I told him we were done, and that I want a divorce. He packed his suitcase and will be back for the rest of his things later." Karen said. "Karen. I am so sorry." Kimberly replied.

Kimberly put her arm around Karen. "Well, that wasn't it. After his nose quit bleeding, we sat back down together. He kissed me. I kissed him. Next thing I knew he was on top of me, and I was unbuttoning his shirt." Karen said. "Did you…" Kimberly asked. "No. We didn't. But we almost did. What does that say about me? I'm the kind of girl that wants it all on the first date?" Karen said. "Don't be ridiculous. Jimi knows you're not like that." Kimberly said. "Did you know that was my first date in ten years." Karen said. "So. If you don't mind my asking, where exactly are you and Mark going from here?" Kimberly asked. "I honestly do not have a clue. But I now see that what we had was pretty great for several years but I'm looking for my soul mate. And I think he may have been right in front of me the entire time." Karen said

"I know that you two have only been on one date, but do you think there might be something there?" Kimberly asked. "Yes. I do." Karen replied. She smiled. "I'm so happy for you!" Kimberly said. "I really hope things don't change too much. Especially from the band's aspect." Karen said. "I know what you mean." Kimberly said. Karen smiled. "But aside from all of that, we had and incredible night~ He's so sweet. Last night he showed me a side of him I'd never seen before. There really was something special between us." Karen said. "I love seeing you like this. You're so happy. And seeing you happy makes me happy." Kimberly said. "I am happy. Jimi and I have always been close, but I never thought that this would happen." Karen said.

"So are yall going to see each other again?" Kimberly said. "Of course. But we head out on the road again tomorrow. We won't have much time while the tour is still going." Karen said. "No. Phillip and I can give you two a little time together every once in a while." Kimberly said. "Well, that's sweet." Karen said. The doorbell rang. Karen got up to answer the door. It was Jimi. Kimberly could see it was Jimi. They were whispering. "What are you doing here?" Karen said. "I left my tie." Jimi said. "I know. Wait here. Kimberly's inside. I'll bring it to you." Karen said. "Hey Jimi!" Kimberly shouted from across the room.

Karen sighed. "Come on in." Karen said to Jimi. She walked to the couch and handed him his tie. "Thanks." Jimi said. "Well, I'll leave you two to talk." Kimberly said. "No. I just came by to get this. Don't let me interrupt you ladies." Jimi said. "I'll see you later." He said to Karen. He kissed her lips. "Bye." He added. Karen walked with him to the door. She came back to the living room. Kimberly was smiling. "What?" Karen said. "Awww!" Kimberly said. "Oh shut up." Karen said. "That's so sweet. You two make a cute couple." Kimberly said. "Thanks." Karen said. "Well. I really do have to get going. I have got to go to the store.

The next morning rolled around and they all met at the studio to load up the bus. Kimberly noticed Jimi watching Karen's every move. Karen did the same. These two love birds couldn't take their eyes off of each other. Jimi piped up and said, "Well, I know Kimberly knows, but Philly, Karen and I are in a relationship." Jimi said as he put his arm around Karen. "WHAT?! Since when?" Phillip asked. "Since our first date two nights ago." Karen said. "You two? Really?" Phillip asked. "Yeeeeep. I got myself a real prize." Jimi said. "But you two have been friends for years. PROVE IT!" Phillip said, taunting them. Karen and Jimi looked at each other. Jimi dipped Karen in his arms and planted a long kiss on her lips. "Ooh La La." Phillip said. They all laughed.

They all loaded up the bus and headed for Phoenix, Arizona. Jimi and Karen obviously spent a lot of time together during the long ride, but Kimberly and Phillip didn't mind. Jimi was sitting in the recliner and Karen came over and sat in his lap. They talked for a while, and the Jimi's phone rang. He got up and walked to the back of the bus to answer it. Karen was still sitting in the chair and Kimberly and Phillip were on the couch. The only part of the conversation they all heard Jimi yell, "Why the hell are you mad at me. It's your fault." When he came back, Karen said, "Who was that?" "Oh. Uh. Just a bill collector." Jimi said. "Okay. Well, come sit back down." Karen said. "You know. I'm kind of tired. I'm going to go lie down for a minute." Jimi said.

"What was that all about?" Kimberly asked. "I don't know." Karen said. "But am I the only one that didn't think was a bill collector that he was on the phone with?" She added. "I agree. What would a bill collector be mad at him?" Phillip said. "I want to know why he would lie to me." Karen said. "Maybe it's just something he doesn't want to deal with right now." Kimberly said. "I know, but not knowing who he was talking to is going to drive me crazy." Karen said. "Karen, don't turn into THAT girl." Kimberly said. "What girl?" Karen asked. "That girl that has to know EVERYONE that her boyfriend talks to." Kimberly said.

Phillip walked to his bunk without saying a word. Jimi's phone was on the table charging. Karen walk over to his phone, and looked at his recent calls. His most recent call was from Mark. "Oh. My. God. I'm going to kill him." Karen said. "Who? Jimi?" Kimberly asked. "No. Mark." Karen said. "Mark?" Kimberly asked. "Mark. He called Jimi, and knowing him, probably threatened him." Karen said. Karen was pissed off, but Kimberly could see there was tears hiding behind her anger. "I can't believe he would do this. How do I talk to Jimi about this? I want him to know he doesn't need to worry about him, but he will lose all trust in me if he knows I went through his phone.

"You've got to get him to tell you the truth." Kimberly said. "How do I do that?" Karen asked. "I don't know." Kimberly said. "I'm just going to tell him." Karen said. "It's your choice." Kimberly said. Karen walked to Jimi's bunk. "Hey. Jimi. Wake up." She said. "What?" He answered. "I need to talk to you about that phone call." Karen said. "What about it. I need to pay my phone bill." Jimi said. "Well, maybe you do, but that's not what Mark called to talk about." Karen said. Jimi sat up quickly sat up. "How did you know I talked to Mark?" Jimi said. "I looked at your phone. And I know you're probably pissed, but I want to know what he said to you." Karen said. "Well, that's none of your business, so why don't you just stay out of it." Jimi said.

This crushed Karen. "Fine." She said. She ran to her bunk. She buried her face in the pillow and started crying. Jimi was in his bunk thinking to himself. _What the hell did I just do? I can't believe I just said that to her. I am such an ass. She is never going to forgive me. I finally got to be with someone that means the world to me, and I blew it. _Jimi got out of his bunk and walked over to Karen's. He poked his head in and said, "Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." "Yes you did." Karen said. "No. I didn't. I'm just not sure that there can be an 'us' right now." Jimi said. "Why not?" Karen said. "Mark is furious." Jimi said.

"So. Mark cheated on my FIRST. He can get over himself." Karen said. "Karen, I just think we need to wait until the divorce is FINAL, before we get too serious." Jimi said. "Okay. Whatever." Karen said. "Please don't be mad at me." Jimi pleaded. Karen didn't respond. He left. Kimberly came back. "What did he say?" Kimberly asked. "He said we can't be together until the divorce is final. He won't tell me what Mark said." Karen said. Kimberly walked back to the front of the bus where Jimi was watching TV. She stood in front of the TV, and then turned it off.

"You're going to tell me right now why you just broke her heart. You told her you had deep feelings for her, and when she finally admitted to feeling the same way, you bailed." Kimberly said. "Because her soon-to-be ex-husband was once my best friend. He thinks that Karen wants a divorce because I told her to, so that we could be together." Jimi said. "Well, tell her that!" Kimberly demanded. "I CAN'T!" Jimi exclaimed. "Why not?" Kimberly asked. "Because she will try to get involved. Karen doesn't realize how aggressive Mark is. She will get herself hurt if she tries to interfere!" Jimi said. "You're trying to protect her?" Kimberly said. "Yes! I'm worried about her. They only thing I want to do is keep her safe." Jimi said. "Well tell her that. She thinks that Mark threatened you, and so you don't want to be with her." Kimberly said.

"Why would she think that? I told her that I'd been in love with her since the day I met her." Jimi said. "I don't know. Why don't you ask her?" Kimberly suggested. Jimi walked back to Karen's bunk. He got next to her and put his arm around her. He moved her hair out of the way and kissed her neck. "What are you doing?" She asked. "Spending time with my girlfriend." Jimi answered. "Girlfriend? I thought we couldn't be together." Karen said. "Karen, I wanted to protect you. Mark thinks you're leaving him because I asked you to. I knew if I told you, you'd try to get involved. I just don't want him to hurt you. That's why I said that." Jimi said. "What?" Karen exclaimed. "You and I have something special, and now I know that I don't care what Mark thinks. I just need you to promise you'll stay away from him." Jimi said.

"Shut up and kiss me!" Karen said. Jimi did. They stayed together for a little while, and then moved back to the recliner. They'd been on the road for about 12 hours now, and still had about 8 to go. Karen fell asleep in Jimi's lap. "Aren't you glad you two made up?" Kimberly asked. "Yes. I really do love her. I know we've been a couple for only a couple of days, but I've known her for years, and that's long enough to know that it's really. I never imagined I'd find myself with someone as amazing as her." Jimi said. "I think yall were made for each other, and it just took you a decade to realize it." Kimberly said. "Jimi put is feet up, leaned back, and fell asleep. The two of them awoke the next morning in Arizona, wrapped in each other's arms.


End file.
